Chapter Four
The sun was just beginning to set by the time she reached Floaroma Town. The beauty of the flower covered town failed to capture her heart. Her mind was still wrapped around Professor Rowan's words and deciding whether or not she had acted irrationality.
The men had said they belonged to Team Galactic and had never heard of Ghetsis. It could be possible that this was a front… But they could also be a different organization all together. She tried to imagine the plausibility of another villainous team having a similar stupid gimmick and it didn't seem likely. She decided the best thing to do would be to heed Rowan's words by laying low, to think before acting, and try to keep a calm head like he had told her to do.
She just checked in her Pokémon at the Pokémon Center when she heard the soft sobbing of a small girl. She was no older than five or so and was sitting in a far corner of the lobby by herself. Her clothes were dirtied and her shoes were missing. Her smudged face said she'd been crying for a while. She tried not to think of the worst, that perhaps this child was a runaway or homeless.
"What's wrong, sweetie," she asked while kneeling in front of her. "Where are your parents?"
"The spacemen took him away! They took my papa and they won't let me in!"
"Where did they take him?"
And just like that, she threw Professor Rowan's advice out the window. There was no detaching herself to allow unclouded thought as her emotions took over.
The little girl, Pamela, was reluctant to approach the nurses for help and had only trusted her because of the Poké Balls on her belt. She convinced Pamela to let the nurses take care of her by telling her it was like a sleepover, and promised to come back to reunite her with her father when it was safe. In the meantime, she would take care of the mean spacemen.
The Valley Windworks was an energy plant just east of the town and where Pamela's father worked and where he was being held prisoner. There was an identical Team Galactic grunt guarding the front door.
"Leave this place and let the man go," she told him.
"Ha! I got orders, kid. If you're not part of Team Galactic, then get out! You think you're going to barge in here, you got another thing com-!"
She pulled back her arm and punched him in mid-sentence. He sent out his two Pokémon in a panic but they weren't even a challenge for Shinx and Piplup. After his last Pokémon retreated to the safety of its Poké Ball, he quickly ran and locked himself inside. She pounded on the door, even her Pokémon gave it their best shot, but it wouldn't budge. Their best efforts didn't even leave a mark.
"Ha ha," he gloated as best he could while holding his bloodied nose. "Now what'll you do?! The only other key is in possession of my cohorts and good luck finding them!"
She looked around for any open windows or vents that she could get through but found none. Her anger and guilt rose in panic. She had promised that little girl her father and was determined to get him back somehow. She returned to Floaroma Town with her mind racing. She asked anyone who crossed her path if they had seen any strange spacemen around but came up cold. No one seemed to know anything about where Team Galactic was hiding. She began breathing rapidly through clutched teeth as all seemed lost. As a last resort, she stopped to question a small boy and he told her exactly where to find them.
"I wanted to go to the flower meadow but the scary spacemen were there!"
The flower meadow he spoke of was just north of the town and was home to a popular shop that sold honeyed treats for Pokémon. She didn't know the way but its path was lined with hedges, making it easy for her to find. She also found two members of Team Galactic threatening to harm an old man if he didn't hand something over. She didn't know what it was they wanted nor did she care. They turned just in time to see her, ruining her attempt to sneak up on them.
"Hey! This kids a witness," one said to his partner. "What should we do with her?"
"We don't need her running off to get help," he answered, "so we make sure she stays quiet!"
Before he took his first step towards her, she had already decided her plan of action. She wanted to create irony to his words and break his jaw but only managed to bruise his cheek when he and his partner called for their Pokémon. Piplup and Shinx were outnumbered but not outmatched.
Piplup was making quick work of the foe's caterpillar Pokémon, Wurmple, when its evolutionary form and partner Pokémon, Silcoon attacked him with String Shot. Unable to move fast enough to avoid it, he was cocooned in its thread. She had just ordered Shinx to help break him free when it ripped apart on its own. Emerged from it was a taller, heavier, and more mature penguin.
'Prinplup, the Penguin Pokémon and the evolved form of Piplup. It lives alone, away from others. Apparently, every one of them believes that it is the most important.'
The stately Pokémon was outraged that his regal form had been attacked. Using three small claws hidden on the underside of his flipper, he began wailing away at the two Pokémon. He would've hit Shinx too if he hadn't moved in time.
This left him free to focus on his own problem, the Zubat that was continuously sucking his energy and wouldn't tire no matter how many potions were administered. Every time Shinx tried to attack it using his claws or teeth, it would fly out of his reach.
"Wait for it," yelled Amira.
Shinx braced himself, his eyes focused intently on the annoying foe flying overhead. She was hoping to paralyze the bat by having Shinx use Charge when it came near him. She waited for it dive and its fangs to graze his skin.
"Now!"
His fur shined then exploded in a burst of light and claps of thunder. The bat Pokémon received the shock of a lifetime and was hurled back to its Poké Ball.
When the light dimmed, she saw that Shinx had changed, though only somewhat. His body was stockier, there were now two gold bands of fur around his forelegs and he had grown his first awkward tufts of a mane. His small face and over-sized ears remained the same, making him look like a kitten playing dress up. Were it not for the glow of the electricity he generated, he almost looked too cute to be menacing.
'Luxio, the Spark Pokémon and Shinx's evolved form. Its claws loose electricity have enough amperage to cause fainting.'
She stood with her newly evolved Pokémon and stared down the two thugs.
"You were just about to hand over the key to the power plant I believe."
"This brat's tough man," whined one the spacemen whom she had so far left unscathed. "Like, really tough! Tougher then I can put into words and I know a lot of words!"
"Here, take it," yelled the other as he threw the key at her. "Let's get out of here!"
She smirked as she watched them run off. Prinplup interrupted her gloating with a screech, demanding acknowledgment of his triumph.
"Of course, your majesty," she said pronouncing the title with sarcasm. "You were most excellent."
He stood with his eyes closed and held tilted upwards snootily in acceptance of her words. Luxio was less needy of such praise but she gave him a scratch behind the ears none the less.
"I'm proud of you too."
It was funny that the two Pokémon were so competitive, they even had to evolve together.
"Sir, are you okay," she asked while walking over to the old man.
"Yes, thank you! Those weird men… They said they needed to attract Pokémon in large numbers. I didn't understand them to be honest. Are you alright? I think you might've scuffed yourself there a bit."
He pointed to her skinned knee and a few spots of dirt she had received in her tussle but she waved them off.
"I'll be fine, thanks. I have to go, see you later!"
She recalled her Pokémon and headed back to the Windworks. Once inside, the grunt that had been guarding the door fled in terror, all the while screaming about alerting his commander. She chased after him only to be stopped occasionally by more members of Team Galactic. Their untrained Pokémon were only exercise to her newly evolved Luxio and Prinplup. When she reached the control room, they weren't even out of breath.
"So you're the little savage that's been causing a ruckus?"
She came face to face with a young woman with red hair in a bobbed cut and prominent cowlick. She was dressed similar to the other members but she wore a silver and white dress with a small 'G' embroidered on the collar. Its drastic triangular shape made her look a funnel with legs. Standing beside her were three of the members she had encountered outside. Behind them, a timid man sat hunched over the Windworks main computer.
"Let him go," she yelled while pointing to him. He sat up with a look of surprise that someone had come to rescue him. There were lines on his face and bags around his eyes that made her wonder how long he'd been forced to work. She could feel her anger rising again as she wondered how long Pamela had been on her own.
"Is that what you want," asked the woman in a haughty tone. "This man is instrumental to our goals. We of Team Galactic have been trying to create a new world that's better than this one. People have shown little understanding about what we do. You don't understand either, do you? It's a little saddening. Let's have a battle to decide what we should do next. If I win, you leave. If you win…"
"You'll leave the Windworks and this man and his family alone!"
"Then I, Commander Mars, accept your challenge! Prepare to lose!"
Of the woman's Pokémon, one was the same species of bat Luxio had just fought, a Zubat. It went down with only one hit from his new electric attack. Her next Pokémon was a squat cat Pokémon, Purrugly. The thick fat of its body made it more resistant to knock out hits but a clever assault with Prinplup utilizing its hatred of water sent it fleeing.
"You uppity brat," Mars screamed with her fists clenched as she stomped her feet. She took a deep sigh and muttered as she tried to calm herself.
"This is just fine," she spat out the words as her temper came under control. "We'll leave. We've got what we needed anyway so your winning doesn't even matter! You! Worthless underlings! Be gone from my sight!"
She ordered the other members away and followed behind them. Amira called out Luxio to her side after watching the party leave. She wasn't taking chances that they wouldn't be waiting to ambush her as soon as she stepped around a corner.
"Thank you so much," said the man. His voice was weary but he seemed contented. "I can't tell you how grateful I am for saving me. I'll finally be able to see my daughter again."
She began to tell him that his daughter was waiting for him at the Pokémon Center when a small figure pushed past her. It ran to him and jumped into his arms, nearly taking them both to the ground.
Pamela had only waited at the Pokémon Center for as long as a bath, a change of clothes, and dinner. She didn't stay a second longer when she found out she was only allowed one dessert. She snuck out and had been waiting in the bushes outside of the Windworks ever since. Once she saw Team Galactic leave, she rushed in to find her father.
"Papa!" She jumped into his arms for her hug only to wriggle out while turning up her nose in disgust. "Yuck, you're stinky! Go shower, stinky!"
Her father looked at Amira and let out a nervous laugh. "Oh, sorry. They had me working nonstop, you see."
"Working nonstop," she repeated, "on what, may I ask?"
"Huh? The strangest thing," he said excitedly. "They wanted power for a massive battery! They wanted to store the power from the wind plant and use it later. They said it wasn't enough but it would be a start. What they were planning to do with it, I have no idea!"
She recalled her Pokémon as she stood thinking about it. First, they wanted Professor Rowan's research on Pokémon evolution, and now they wanted power from the Valley Windworks for a giant battery.
"Is it possible to use a Pokémon's evolution to power something," she asked carefully.
"Oh...," responded the scientist, as curiosity began to engulf him. "That is a strange question! I'm afraid I don't have an answer for you. Something like that seems more along the lines of say, nuclear energy. But you won't find anything like a nuclear power plant in this region."
"I see," she nodded. She thought she was starting to get an idea of what was going on. Team Galactic was trying to use Pokémon evolution as a power source in addition to wind energy, but for what?
As she said goodbye to Pamela and her father, she spotted something sticking out of one of the office printers. It was a badly smudged paper jam but the giant 'G' of the Team Galactic logo was clearly visible. She pulled it out and stuffed it in her pocket as she passed so as not to draw attention. Once she was outside, she pulled it out to take a look at it.
"The bringer of wars, your target is the energy of the power plant.
The bringer of contentment, your target is the Pokémon statue of Eterna City.
The bringer of aging, your target is the Pokémon that sleeps on today.
The Dream Energy
Team Galactic."
She tried to make sense of it through what she already knew. The 'bringer of wars' was clearly Mars, the God of War from Roman mythology, and the code name of the commander she had just fought. The power plant mentioned was the Valley Windworks. She had foiled their plans there but that still left two other targets Team Galactic was after.
The second line plainly named its target but every line after that made no sense. The 'bringer of contentment' and bringer of aging' didn't align with any other mythological deities she knew of. Nor could she think of a sleeping Pokémon or any energy source harvested from dreams. The more pieces of the puzzle she had, the more confusing the big picture became.
She at least resolved to make it to Eterna City as soon as she could. There was no choice but to keep her feet moving. A check of the map told her that the next town wasn't too far away. There'd be a forest to go through but it wasn't as discouraging as a mountain. She was tired but not too tired to make the attempt. She figured that she could always set up camp where she dropped if need be. What was most important was that she would need to find a safe place for her Pokémon to rest.
There was a strangeness in the air from the moment she set foot in Eterna Forest. She tried to convince herself that it was only the shadows of the trees in the moonlight and ignored the fact that there was no moon. She tried to distract herself by focusing on the task at hand, finding her way through the forest at night with only an emergency lamp to guide her. There was no tuning out the sounds of the unsettling sounds of her surroundings but somehow, she never heard the person walking behind her as they walked with the same rhythm in their footsteps.
She wouldn't have known they were there at all until they placed a hand on her shoulder. She grabbed the would-be attacker by the wrist and turned around to face them, prepared to toss them on the ground.
"I'm so sorry," shrieked a young woman as she hurriedly explained herself. She was only a little older, with long dark green hair and a worried expression.
Amira immediately let go of her and stepped back in horror. "I almost hurt you!"
"I didn't mean to startle you," she apologized again. "I just wanted to ask you for a favor? I want to get through this forest but I'm afraid of being alone. I heard there might be a sinister bunch of people called Team Galactic around. I thought I might ask if you would walk with me as there's safety in numbers!"
She responded with her own rushed apology. "Of course! I'll be glad to walk with you."
The young woman introduced herself as Cheryl and explained that she worked as an herbalist in Eterna City. She and her family ran a medicinal shop selling organic alternatives to the medicines found in Poké Marts. She often took trips in the forest at all times of the day and night to collect herbs and knew its paths from memory. Yet this night, the news of Team Galactic urged her to be more cautious.
She became increasingly thankful that Cheryl had approached her. While her own map was helpful for identifying towns and landmarks, it wasn't at all detailed when it came to guiding her through natural mazes. She enjoyed her company but somehow couldn't shake the feeling that some shadow or another was stalking them.
"Hey Cheryl, since you know the forest, do you know if there's anything strange about it?"
"Well it's always been like this for as long as I can remember. But I do get the feeling we're being watched."
At the sound of screeching, they turned just in time to see an enormous crow coming straight at them. Amira put her arm up to shield herself and ducked. The crow grabbed the chain of her necklace in its talons and tore it off. She watched in horror as it flew away.
"My necklace!" She screamed, pleading in outrage. "Give it back!"
She ran after it, trying to keep it in her sight as it weaved in-between the trees. She didn't care about the chain but she would never forgive herself if she lost the ring pendant that hung on it. It was all she had left of Unova. Past memories, hopes, dreams, whatever pushed her forward were all slivers of jewels fused into the silver band hung on a thin chain that Alder had once slipped around her neck.
As she followed the crow, Cheryl desperately ran to keep up with her.
It flew into the attic of an old, run-down mansion. Despite looking abandoned, there was a faint purple glow in its windows from some unknown light that emanated within. The ground around it was littered with paint chippings and shingles that had fallen off its roof. Its once impressive garden was overgrown with weeds. Vines from some unknown plant had completely overtaken its iron gate.
"Oh no!" Cheryl jerked her back onto the ground just as she was about to begin climbing it. Her brows were knitted in worry even as she tried to catch her breath. "You can't go in there! That's the Old Chateau!"
"I'm getting that necklace back!"
"We're at the edge of the forest," she said, pointing to the thinning of threes and the glow of the city lights nearby. "Why don't we just wait until morning or get the police?"
"It's fine if you leave," she told her, "but I'm going in."
Without another word, she threw her bag over the gate and began climbing the ivy wall. Once on the other side, she could no longer see Cheryl and didn't bother to call out to her to see if she was still there. She merely picked up her things and headed inside.